Notes from Europe: Eating with Purpose

Having spent nearly a week in Romania sharing time in nature, over meals or in the car with my Gemmotherapy mentor Dr. Sorina Soescu, I came away with further clarity about the human body and healing. One of the primary topics of discussion was food. Both Dr. Soescu and I walk similar paths when it comes to feeding our families and advising our clients. It was actually my stay in her Constanta home two years ago that spurred the plant-based dietary changes we made as a family. This was my introduction to the cleaning power of a diet rich in raw, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Over these past two years I have shared my thoughts and experiences with clients in my practice. Many have made significant shifts in their diet and have—along with the support of Gemmotherapy and Homeopathic protocols—healed their chronic symptoms. Others still struggle. As a practitioner I am always searching for ways to clarify and simplify my message in order to reach those who feel overwhelmed by all of the dietary information that circulates or to whom change feels too burdensome. My hope is that I can spread the idea of eating with purpose.

What is Eating with Purpose?
Modern culture places a high value on food as lots of things other than nourishment. Eating is often the focus of our community time, entertainment, exploration, or even for just passing time. While there is a place for food in any of these endeavors, we’ve lost sight of the most basic and important aspect of why we eat—to stay vital and healthy. When we Eat with Purpose we can remember food is to nourish the body and the most tried and true path is filled with whole, plant-based, unprocessed foods.

Now, fresh from hours of personal discussions and friendly debates over meals and walks in the forest with Dr. Soescu, here are the three basic concepts we agreed sum up what a healthy body looks like and how to get there. Spoiler alert: Your diet plays a key role.

1. Every body needs a diet that supports its natural ability to CLEAN and HEAL. If your body can’t rid itself of wastes, it cannot heal. It’s as simple as that. The best way to help your body clean more effectively is to eat whole, natural foods that do not produce inflammation. A cleaner diet will help open and optimize elimination and that will subsequently heal any secondary symptoms.
2. Every body needs to have at least 2 well-formed bowel movements daily. If, on your current diet, you have slow/poor elimination, frequent loose or unformed stools, urinary urgency and/or night waking to urinate, these are signs from your body indicating that elimination organs are distressed. Dietary change is the quickest way to unburden these organs.
3. Every body can and should be free of any and all of the following secondary symptoms: acne, asthma, candida, eczema, headaches, migraines, rosacea, sinusitis, sleep disturbances, localized inflammation, bloating, menstrual irregularities including cramping, heavy flow, spotting, no menses, or hemorrhaging. These are all clear signs your elimination organs are distressed and your diet needs to change.

How can food optimize elimination?

• Alkalizing foods stimulate the lymphatic system.
• Raw food in the diet improves digestive efficiency and normal bowel function.
• Eat high alkaline plant based whole foods—aim for 80% of your daily diet.
• Increase consumption of raw whole foods—aim for 50% of your daily diet.

What is a whole food?
Food that is in the most natural state possible, just as it is delivered to us from nature. 

How do I start?
First: Begin your day by consuming a meal of raw fruits, on an empty stomach, as fresh pressed juice, smoothie or in their whole form. Don’t move on until your are prepared to take on further change. Staying with a fruit only breakfast is a huge step forward for many and is a fabulous healthy start to each day.

Next: Once you have become accustomed to an all-fruit breakfast change your lunch and dinner plate to meet the 80/50 guidelines of 80% plant based and 50% raw raw diet. Do this by adding a raw fruit or vegetable salad at the start of each meal, increasing the plant based dishes and decrease grains and protein servings.

Over time: Introduce bit by bit more dishes that use food in its natural state—direct from the tree or plant and reduce your intake of foods that must be cooked or processed such as grains, meats and starchy vegetables. Look for suggestions from Lauren’s Kitchen each Monday.

Important to note: Introducing a high alkaline diet too quickly can cause a variety of side effects in individuals whose elimination process has been compromised for years and years and are in a state of acidosis. Symptoms such as exhaustion, loose bowels, headaches, or irritability are clear signs to move at a slow and guided pace with the close support of your health practitioner. In my practice I highly recommend the use a complimentary Gemmotherapy protocol to support the body as it eliminates years of toxicity.

Can you heal yourself with food alone?
This is completely dependent on the current state of your elimination and the length of time it has been compromised. It has been my experience that food alone will not heal symptoms completely unless the elimination organs are functioning at an optimal level.

In my practice I use Gemmotherapy protocols to complement and support a plant based diet in opening elimination and cleaning the body because of their superior ability to both clean and heal organ tissue (unlike any other natural medicine). I use homeopathy once the elimination systems are functioning to support the ability of the vital force to completely heal the body.

It was a remarkable week in Romania and I treasure the opportunity to discuss and debate the natural process of healing on your behalf! I hope that these new insights bring further clarity to those in need. Next week I look forward to sharing some of the latest news regarding Polarity Analysis homeopathy as I will have had some scheduled time with my homeopathic mentor Dr. Heiner Frei.